Kingdom Hearts Remixed
by White Fire Alchemist
Summary: It’s your classic Kingdom Hearts, the same you remember, but with a new face. Follow Sora Donald and Goofy along with their new friend as they search for the King and those Sora lost. no random pairings THIS IS A NOVELIZATION! i follow scripts! :
1. Waking Up in Traverse Town

Summary: It's your classic Kingdom Hearts, the same you remember, but with a new face. Follow Sora Donald and Goofy along with their new friend as they search for the King and those Sora lost. no random pairings

She was crouched down, elbows on knees and face propped on fists. Her clear green eyes studied the unconscious boy in front of her carefully. Her dark chocolate brown hair was held away from her eyes with an electric blue satin ribbon tied expertly with an off center bow. She wore dark blue jeans with a boot cut and Harajuku Lovers canvas sneakers. She wore a tight black camisole and a zip up blue hooded sweatshirt. The boy in front of her had extremely different clothing from herself, and she wondered just wear exactly he had come from. The yellow dog on the side of her wagged his tail patiently as he watched and waited with her.

He slowly began to move shifting and moaning a little as he pulled himself to reality.

"What a dream," he muttered, slipping back to the darkness. The dog's excitement broke through his patience and he proceeded to jump on top of the young boy, knocking the spiky head against the brck wall of the alley he was laying in.

"This isn't a dream!" The boy leapt to his feet quickly and frantically looked around the alley. The girl who had been watching him straightened her form slowly and put her hands on her hips expectantly.

"Well noticed," she said to him sarcastically. "You're right, this isn't a dream."

The boy stared at her with confusion before demanding, "Where am I?"

"Hello, my name is Bella, nice to meet you too," she answered. "See, now that's how you should have started, don't you think?"

"Oh," he replied. "I'm sorry. My name is Sora. Do you know where we are?"

"Not really," Bella admitted. She started walking away toward the end of the alley. She turned and patted the dog's head once. "All I really know is that this place is known as Traverse Town. People just show up most of the time, but no one knows why we are here really. I guess its kind of an 'in-between' between all the different worlds."

"This is totally weird," Sora muttered to himself. "I'm in another world!"

Just then, the big dog ran out of the alley, leaving behind Bella and Sora. His invitation to leave the dinginess of the alley was quickly accepted by Bella. Sora followed her and blinked with wonder at his surroundings. They had exited into a type of plaza. There weren't many people around, but those that were there stared at Sora, the new guy, briefly before returning to their previous activities.

"Let's go to the accessory shop," Bella suggested, sensing Sora's growing confusion. "I'm sure Cid will be able to give you more answers than I can."

"Yeah, ok," Sora replied, following Bella up a wide set of stairs past the strangest mailbox he had ever seen. They approached a large two story building and entered the double doors.

"Hey there, how can I…," began a tall blond man as he turned at the sound of the opening door. He broke off when he saw Bella and Sora approaching the counter. "Aw, it's only you."

"Wonderful to see you too Cid," Bella said with a roll of her eyes. She took a seat on the plush furniture in the center of the room. She leaned back on her hands and crossed her legs, getting more comfortable. "It's always a pleasure to be welcome here."

"Yeah, yeah," Cid grumbled, looking to Sora next. "Who's the kid? A new boyfriend or something?"

"Not exactly," Bella laughed. "You've got a really warped sense of humor if you think I would go for someone this young."

"I'm not a kid," Sora said angrily when he realized they were talking about him. He crossed his arms firmly, as if trying to assert himself. "And the name's Sora!"

"Okay, Okay," Cid surrendered, hands in the air with the palms out. He didn't want to deal with a headache. "Simmer down."

"He doesn't mean any harm, Sora," Bella laughed. "The guy is like a burnt marshmallow: burnt and crusty on the outside, nice and warm and gooey on the inside."

"Appetizing description of me," Cid muttered. "You must think you're real cute. Anyways, kid--uh--Sora, Why the long face?"

"Where are we?" Sora asked. He hoped this man would be able to give him a few answers, especially concerning where his friends ended up.

"How about this question instead," Cid interrupted. "Where are you from?"

Sora then proceeded to launch into a long story involving some people named Kairi and Riku, an island in the middle of an ocean, unspeakable evil, and something else involving a huge swirling vortex of doom that sucked everything into non-existence. He concluded the story with asking Cid if Traverse Town was really another world and what happened to his island.

Cid rubbed his chin thoughtfully and stayed silent for a moment when Sora's tale was complete. Glancing at Bella, he said, "Not sure what you're talkin' about, but this sure ain't your island."

"But did anyone else come here? Riku or Kairi?" Sora asked hopefully, looking forward to being reunited with his best friends.

Cid shook his head apologetically. "Sorry kid, but I know about every new person in town and you've been the only one in the past couple of days. Bella here showed up only about a week before you did."

Bella glanced up at Sora, wondering just when the younger boy would decide to go searching for his friends. He would need her knowledge of the city to do that, and she wasn't looking forward to it.

"Hmm," Sora thought. He glanced around the shop, looking for nothing in particular before catching Bella's gaze hopefully. "Guess I'd better start looking for Riku and Kairi."

"Well, good luck with whatever it is your doing," Cid dismissed. He also looked at Bella, formulating a plan of his own. "Bella will take you around the town and help you out. If you ever run into trouble, you two come to me. I'll look out for you."

"Of course, I'll show him around, Cid," Bella said sarcastically. "Thank you for giving me the option, not that I ever had a choice in the first place."

She stood and reached for a silver gun Cid handed her. She checked to make sure it was loaded before inserting it into a holster Sora hadn't noticed around her waist. She also took the long sword Cid held out and took a sheath from his hands as well.

"Let's go, Sora," she said, walking by him to the door. "Let's go find your friends."

A/N: If you haven't already noticed, I'm following the script exactly. I'll make adjustments as I see fit to incorporate Bella some more. Keep reviewing and I'll keep updating so long as I don't get writer's block. So go forth and click the button at the bottom of the screen and submit to me a review.


	2. Searches and Revelations

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts

Chapter 2

Bella pushed open the door and walked back out into the strange new world. She led Sora around the building, climbing a few short sets of stairs and arriving at a very large set of doors. A sign hung over it, naming the area as the Second District.

"If that's the second district," Sora began, working out the lay of the town for future reference, "then are what district are we in?"

"This is the First District," Bella answered, staring at the doors. "Beyond the Second in the Third District and that's all we've really been able to find. This world is very small, which is why I don't think a lot of people show up here when their worlds are destroyed. If we don't find your friends, don't get discouraged; they could have ended up somewhere else."

"Well, where are you from?" Sora questioned further, realizing he didn't really know anything about her, even though he had already told her and Cid his story. "I'm from Destiny Island, like I already told you, but I've never seen you there before."

"Well, you're right, I'm not from Destiny Island," Bella agreed, nodding her head and leaning against the doors, putting off passing beyond the First District for the time being. "My world is called Earth. My island was called North America and it was huge. Much bigger than this tiny place. It was destroyed not too long ago kind of the same way your world was and I just ended up here."

"Did any of your friends come with you?"

She shook her head with a small frown. "That's why I don't want you to get your hopes up too much."

Sora nodded and stared at the doors that would lead the way to the next section of the Town.

"We can still try though," he said finally, drawing Bella's attention. She smiled, admiring his determination to succeed and grasped the handle of one of the doors and pulled with a bit of effort. The door creaked softly as it moved, opening a new section to the pair.

Bella walked through first, motioning for Sora to wait behind. She drew the long sword from the sheath on her waist. She moved slowly and carefully, and surveyed the deserted area before her. She stepped closer to the ledge of the platform she walked out onto and waved Sora over. He heard the sound of rushing water from below them and guessed there was a fountain on the lower level.

"What are we being so careful for?" Sora whispered uncertainly, confused by the sudden change from one district to the next.

"There is danger here that we can't control," Bella murmured, keeping hers eyes glued to their surroundings. She was making Sora nervous and she felt bad, but now was not the time to think about that. She had to keep a sharp lookout to keep the defenseless boy safe.

"Look out," she shouted, throwing her left arm out backwards, catching Sora's chest and shoving him backwards a few steps. A person, most likely another resident of the town, was running toward them, panting heavily. He tripped and fell to the ground in front of the duo, raising a protective arm over his head, cringing away from some unseen evil. His body began to convulse and he writhed in pain, screaming. Sora stepped forward instinctively to offer help, but Bella stopped him.

"Here's your first taste of that danger I just told you about," she warned. The man in front of them started to roll over, doubling over on himself. His body was getting smaller and smaller and turning darker and darker. A flash of light cause Sora to blink and when he opened his eyes, an impish creature in armor stood before him, leering at him with glowing yellow eyes. It rattled its armor menacingly before disappearing entirely, causing Bella to swear.

"What was that thing?" Sora demanded.

"A soldier," Bella replied. "And he called some friends."

Just then, a group of shadowy creatures sprang up from the ground, surrounding Sora and Bella. Bella held her sword at the ready, standing in front of Sora. She charged one of them and sliced her way through the body of one, then quickly jumping backward to escape a quick swipe from another.

"It's those creatures from the island!" Sora exclaimed. A glow appeared around his hand and with a metallic ring, he pulled a weapon Bella had only heard stories bout out of thin air. She stared in wonder at the long silver shaft attached to the gleaming golden hilt. A small chain dangled from the end, a swinging trio of spheres swinging innocently.

"The Keyblade," she whispered in amazement. "You're the one?"

Sora however, didn't hear her as he was busily making sloppy work of destroying the creatures in front them. He took a few rough hits, but Bella stood frozen to the spot, watching his every movement. The creatures completely ignored her, drooling as the hunted down the boy holding the one weapon that could truly destroy them.

Sora was panting heavily when it was down to one last enemy. He was not used to having to fight like this. The play fights he had back home never put his life in danger before after all! The creature leapt into the air and was blasted backwards with a loud bang. Sora whirled around to see Bella aiming a smoking gun at the place where the bullet had hit its target.

"Let's keep looking," Bella said quickly, putting off her many questions for the moment. He would get suspicious if she tried to stop his search early to bring him to Leon and Yuffie. It was better to keep going as if nothing was out of the ordinary for the time being.

Sora nodded and hoisted the heavy weapon over his shoulder, now leading the way. They weren't attacked again, but Bella was certain they were being watched, studied, and evaluated. These creatures were getting smarter, and that only made her more nervous.

Sora forged ahead, checking every corner and investigated a grand mansion built into the side of a factory. He was surprised to find to speaking Dalmatians, looking forlorn.

"This is Pongo and Perdita," Bella explained, crouching down to scratch Pongo's ears and stroke Perdita's head. The two dogs kept their heads low, even in the wake of a friendly gesture. "Their pups went missing when they came to this world. They haven't been found yet either."

"How many puppies do they have?"

"Ninety-nine."

Sora stared in shock at the two dogs. How in the world did they have THAT many pups?

"Fifteen are our own," Pongo said slowly.

"But the rest are as good as ours," Perdita finished. "We lost them in the dark hole and we haven't been able to find them."

"We'll help!" Sora immediately volunteered with a determined expression. "If I run into any of them, I'll bring them back to you!"

Perdita looked up hopefully and Pongo wagged his spotted tail once, thumping it against the floor. "If you do this for us," he promised, "you will have our gratitude and a reward."

Bella thanked the canine pair and ushered Sora out of the mansion, eager to get back to the first district again. She was eager to speak with Cid about her discovery and she was getting more anxious about the evil creatures by the minute.

"Let's go back to the first district," she pressed. "I don't think we're gonna find your friends just yet. We can keep looking some more later."

"Sure," Sora agreed readily. He was the one to lead the way this time, jogging through the streets quickly. Bella took up the rear, keeping an eye out for more danger. She was relieved when they reached the large double doors leading back to safety and opened the doors.

A small shadow leaped at them suddenly from within the first district and Bella gasped.

"Shit," she yelled. "Why are they here? This place is supposed to be safe!"

Sora had readied his weapon quickly and Bella drew the sword once more. She cut down one foe but suffered a hard blow to the shoulder from another. She motioned to Sora to make for the accessory shop where Cid said he would be waiting for them, and they fought their way through the mob of darkness.

Barging through the doors quickly, Bella collapsed on the floor, panting heavily. Sora leaned against the wall and wiped the sweat from his brow. Cid glanced at the pair, already aware of the situation outside of his shop.

"Still haven't found 'em?" he questioned. He shot a look toward Bella, his expression serious. He knew about the weapon. Bella nodded her understanding and turned her attention back to Sora, making sure the boy was alright.

"Keep our chin up. Take another look around town," Cid suggested with a shrug. He glanced at Bella once more. "Leon's around somewhere taking care of the problem outside right now. He'll be fine on his own."

Sora nodded slowly, having gotten his breath back. After all, if there was someone out there fighting the baddies, it would be safe to take a better look around. He opened the door without another word and left the shop, leaving Bella behind.

"Cid," Bella began once Sora had left the building and the door was shut. "He has the Keyblade. I saw him use it, and he's not really good at it."

"We already know that," Cid replied, waving his hands around. "Yuffie saw the two of you in the second district and she reported to Leon right away. He wants to test the kid. If the Keyblade says he's worthy, there's nothing we can do about it."

"But we still need to know how much trouble we're in if the Keyblade made a bad choice," Bella mused. "Great…we're all gonna die."

She could hear the heated debate forming between Sora and Leon, who had been waiting for the younger boy apparently. She heard a sharp ring of metal on metal and immediately wished the younger boy luck. Leon was a tough fighter, and she knew Sora wouldn't stand a chance against him. This wasn't going to end well. She opened the door to watch the fight, ignoring Cid's warning to stay out of it.

She arrived just in time to see Leon whack Sora in the back of the head with the flat side of his gun blade sharply, dazing Sora.

"Now …you're…gonna…you're gonna…" Sora mumbled, swaying back and forth. He fell to his knees and hit the dirt in a crumpled heap. Bella shook her head. They were in a lot of trouble if this was the best defense the Keyblade had to offer against the destruction of all life as they knew it.

A/N: okay, so we got a quick intro to Leon and Cid. Fun times. I'm taking a bit of artistic liberty with this by the way. I want to make sure loose ends can be tied up and more can be explained to the reader that wasn't necessarily explained in the game. I'll interpret it how I want to, and you will take it with a spoonful of sugar, right? Haha. This is mostly going to be from Bella's viewpoint, so things that happen on the other side of the wall that she can't see, you won't see either. Hence the reason why the dialogue between Sora and Leon wasn't heard. As always, please review. It makes me happy to see other people's reactions to my stories, be they good or bad comments.

Review

WFA


	3. Of Keyblades and Heartless

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts…only Bella

"Aw, you're slipping Leon," called out a voice from an unseen source as Leon fell to one knee after losing his balance. A young woman flipped out off a balcony above a small café where she had watched the fight carefully. "Hey Bella, what's up?"

"Hi, Yuffie," Bella greeted. She slapped the hand easily in a sort of high-five and stood over Sora bending down over him. "That was really pathetic. I thought he was sloppy in the other district, but this was just plain embarrassing."

"I went easy on him," Leon commented. He was lying. Bella had seen him fight before, harder than this, but nowhere close to his full potential according to Yuffie. Who knew what kind of past he had to be able to fight like that. Bella didn't want to know, but was glad he had such skill. It sure came in handy in times like these.

The three stood over Sora, worry etched on their faces. Leon spoke first, voicing what they were all thinking.

"Looks like things are worse than we thought," he muttered darkly. "A lot worse."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Leon had carried Sora to the second district and Bella held the Keyblade carefully. Yuffie bounded ahead of them, keeping a sharp eye out for danger. Nothing stirred in the shadows. Leon's theory of getting the Keyblade out of Sora's possession to defer the little imps was spot on, and Bella was grateful for the chance to be somewhat safe.

The group made their way swiftly to the hotel rooms Leon had booked and put Sora on the bed. Bella leaned the Keyblade against the wall respectfully. Now all that was left was to wait for him to wake up and start asking questions. This was going to be a long night.

The door to the adjoining room opened and another female popped her head through the doorway. Her long brown hair was twisted into a braid down her back and secured with pink ribbons. She glanced briefly at the unconscious Sora and brought her attention back to Leon.

"Leon, the others are here," she said softly in a musical voice. "A duck and a dog. I think they are here under the king's orders. Shall I speak with them and explain the situation?"

"Are you sure it's them? They aren't heartless in disguise?" Leon questioned.

"I'm positive," she confirmed.

"Fine, then," Leon said. "Be careful, Aerith. Call if you need us."

Aerith nodded once and hurried back through the door to get the ones she needed to speak to. Bella sighed and leaned against the wall, sinking down to the floor. How boring.

"Be honest Leon," she said suddenly. He looked up at her from his seat at the small table in the center of the room. "Just how much trouble are we in?"

"A lot," he said vaguely. "This is just a kid. The Keyblade chose a little kid as its master. All our hopes for survival and the survival of every other world out there rest with him. He can barely fight. He has a few skills, but it's nowhere close to powerful enough to stop what's coming."

"The big bad," Bella murmured. "This sucks."

"No kidding," Yuffie replied, poking Sora swiftly, attempting to wake him up. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Give him more experience and make him get stronger, I suppose," Bella said, whacking her head against the wall. "I know I'm still no great shakes when it comes to a fight, but I picked some things up. Maybe he can do the same. He's already got the basics down, which is more than I knew. He'll learn."

"That's the way it works for everyone," Leon agreed. "We aren't born completely equipped to fight. Everyone has to learn to gauge their own power against the enemy and how to exploit weaknesses and defeat the enemy. This kid will have to do the same."

"Sora," Bella interrupted suddenly. "He hates that nickname. Just call him Sora."

As if in response to his name, Sora began to stir on the bed, groaning a little. Yuffie walked over to him, standing over the younger male expectantly.

"Come on, lazy bum," she ordered. "Wake up!"

Sora opened his eyes, squinting against the brightly light of the room. He raised one hand to cover them, slightly dazed still.

"You okay?" Yuffie asked. Being hit by Leon was like being hit by a truck. Sora couldn't have been feeling his best right then.

"I guess," Sora muttered, rubbing the spot where he was hit gingerly. He winced when he felt the bump. Well, at least there was no blood.

"Those creatures that attacked you are after the Keyblade," Yuffie explained slowly. "But it's your heart they really want, because you wield the Keyblade."

Sora seemed to ignore her words, just staring at Yuffie in complete wonder and relief before speaking. "I'm so glad you're okay, Kairi."

Bella snorted into her arms that were crossed over her knees. Oh yeah, this boy was cracked.

"Kairi?" Yuffie exclaimed, clearly offended at having been mistaken for another girl. "Who are you talking about? I'm the great ninja Yuffie."

Sora shook his head, clearing his vision and looked at "Kairi" again. Red crept up his cheeks as the embarrassment took over. "Whoops."

"I think you might've overdone it, Squall," Yuffie said with an annoyed huff as she flopped down on the bed next to Sora, who had moved into a sitting position and was now looking around the room.

"That's Leon," Leon reminded her. He wasn't Squall anymore.

"Whatever," Bella muttered. "Get back to the part about the Keyblade."

"The Keyblade," Yuffie murmured. "Yeah, we had to get it away from you to shake off those creatures. It turns out, that's how they were tracking you."

"It was the only way to conceal your heart from them," Leon interjected. He picked up the Keyblade, holding it lightly. "But it won't work for long. Still hard to believe that you of all people are the chosen one."

He swung the Keyblade through the air and it disappeared in a shimmer of light and rematerialized in a surprised Sora's hands. He studied the Keyblade and looked up at Leon with an even more confused look on his face.

"Well, I suppose beggars can't be choosers," Bella commented. She received a dirty look from Sora at that, but she ignored it.

"Why don't you start making sense?" Sora demanded angrily. He was being made fun of and he didn't like it. And he was still a little miffed about the fight with Leon earlier. Cue entrance of question time now. "What's going on here?"

"Listen up," Yuffie commanded. "There are many other worlds out there besides where you came from and this town, you know."

"There are?" Sora asked.

"Yeah," Bella replied. "They're supposed to be a secret though. You see, they've never been connected before, or at least not until now."

"When the Heartless came, everything changed," Yuffie explained.

"The Heartless?" Sora asked. He looked toward Bella for help understanding everything.

"Those nasty little buggers that kept attacking us, remember?" she supplied. "Scientifically speaking, they are those without hearts. They are attracted to the darkness in people's hearts, and there is darkness in every heart."

"Hey," Yuffie said suddenly. "Have you ever heard of someone named Ansem?"

Sora shook his head. Who the hell was Ansem supposed to be?

"He was studying the Heartless," Leon told him. "He recorded all his finding in a very detailed report. However, the pages have been scattered everywhere to many worlds. The only way you can get to those worlds to find the reports is with that "key" to open the door, so to speak."

"So this is the Keyblade?" Sora asked, slowly piecing together all the information he was given. He held up his weapon as Exhibit A.

"Exactly," Yuffie said, pleased that the conversation was getting somewhere at last.

"The Heartless have a great fear of the Keyblade. That's why they'll keep coming after you no matter what."

"I didn't ask for any of this," Sora muttered to himself. All he had wanted to do was see the world with his two best friends. Not have to save everyone from these Heartless things and do it by himself no less.

"Sorry, Sora," Bella replied. "The Keyblade chooses its master and it chose you. Tough luck kiddo."

"How did all this happen? I remember being in my room." Sora moaned, leaning back on the bed in frustration. He leapt to his feet suddenly as a new thought struck him. "Wait a minute! What happened to my home? My island? Riku! Kairi!"

"You know what?" Leon said, leaning against the door joining to the other room and crossing his arms. "I really don't know. I do know that sooner or later, the Heartless will find you. You'd best prepare yourself."

"For what?" Sora asked suspiciously. He already didn't like where this was going.

"To fight for your life," Leon said, eying the teen. "Are you ready?"

Sora looked down at the floor, thinking over everything he knew, everything he had just learned, and the options he had. This was too much to ask from someone who was only 14. He glanced up at Bella, who was staring back, waiting expectantly for an answer. Everything rested on him. He was the only hope. There was no choice. However, this meant that it was up to him to bring back Riku and Kairi. He had to do this, for them at the very least.

"I'm ready," he declared with a serious expression. Bella swore she saw him grow and inch in that moment. Such a young age, accepting the responsibility of the worlds, even though it may cost him his life. Thank God for that!

"Yuffie, Bella," Leon said with a slight note of relief in his voice. "Let's go join Aerith. She should be there by now with the other visitors."

"Leon!" Yuffie shouted suddenly. She pointed to the center of the room where the light was shuddering and getting darker. A soldier heartless appeared and taunted the group with some unknown message before jumping out the window and onto the balcony.

"Yuffie, Bella, go!" Leon ordered. Yuffie grabbed Bella wrist and tugged her toward the door Leon had been leaning on. The burst through the door and Bella latched onto a confused Aerith's wrist as well, dashing away to a safer place.

Bella looked back once to see Sora follow Leon onto the balcony and felt herself hoping he would be alright.

A/N: I've noticed people are reading, but I've also noticed that not a single one reviewed…not good people. Let me know if you hate it and let me know if you love it and let me know if you think it's ok. I need feedback!


	4. Animal Cuelty

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or anything. Just Bella.

The three women were making a quick dash for the First District where they would be able to find safety in the accessory shop. Bella, however, couldn't get her mind off Sora and Leon. She didn't want to run away from this. She had no clue how Sora would be able to handle a serious situation. Sure, Leon was with him, but they were probably going to need all the help they could get.

"Yuffie!" she shouted. She wrenched her wrist free with a sharp twist and let go of Aerith at the same time. "Just take Aerith. I'm going back to help."

"Don't die out there, ok?" Yuffie warned her without breaking a stride. She shouted the rest back to Bella as they ran in separate directions. "Cid's taken a bit of a liking to you, you know."

Bella grinned and dashed madly after Leon and Sora toward the Third District. If she hurried, maybe she could catch up to them in time! She came upon the doors quickly and barreled her way through them, her heart pounding at the sound of metallic clashes. The fight had already begun.

Several large pillars that had definitely not been there before blocked Bella's view, separating her from Sora. She saw Leon a bit further away and jogged up to him. His face was stone-like, his expression unreadable as he listened intently to the unseen ongoing battle.

"What the hell did I just miss?" Bella demanded. She waved her hand gesturing toward the ugly columns that blocked off most of the district. "How hired the architect with bad taste?"

"Sora's in there with the other newcomers," Leon said quietly. "They were searching for the key too, and now we will see what happens."

"Sora and two people we don't really know are fighting a bunch of Heartless in there right now?" Bella sighed. "Oh that's just brilliant. We don't know how they fight. We're probably all going to die. Wonderful."

"I think the King sent those two," Leon told her. "And they aren't 'people' per say. One is a duck and one is a dog."

"Even better," Bella said sourly. "Animal cruelty. We've just pitted poor defenseless animals against the big bad. We're going to hell."

"Those aren't just Heartless in there either," Leon informed Bella, ignoring her dramatics for the time being. Bella gave him a confused look before it dawned on her and a look of horror masked her face.

"You mean to say the Guard is in there with them?" she whispered.

Leon didn't say anything, but he nodded gravely, still studying the pillars. There were no openings and the walls were way too high to leap over. They were just going to have to wait to see if Sora and the others were strong enough to face the terrors on the other side, and then if they were strong enough to survive it.

Quite suddenly, a loud noise, like the shattering of glass reverberated off the pillars. Bella's heart stopped and she gasped. Leon flinched forward, reaching for his gunblade. Whatever that sound was, it didn't sound very good at all. Too bad there was still no way to figure out what was happening on the other side. Bella and Leon were still blind.

"Sora?" Bella shouted over the walls when all remained silent. "Sora, it's Bella. Are you alright over there? What's going on?"

With a great rumble, the pillars shook violently and sank slowly into the ground. Bella jumped back in surprise. This town was so damn weird. Leon stepped forward, leaping over the much shorter barrier and disappeared from sight. Once the dust settled, Bella saw that Sora was just fine, a bit breathless and bruised, but at least he was still alive.

She couldn't take her eyes off the other two though. When Leon said a duck and a dog, she hadn't known what to expect, but it certainly wasn't this. The dog was so much taller than anyone else Bella had ever met and the duck was certainly louder. This was simply unbelievable.

"Bella!" Sora shouted out. He waved enthusiastically, wincing slightly. "I did it!"

"And you got a toy," Bella commented, nodding her head toward the small object in Sora's hand.

"It's called a Brave Warrior," claimed some unseen voice. Bella looked around and noticed a small jumping thing on the ground. It held a book and was waving it around, pointing to a page. Bella knelt down and the thing jumped over, revealing itself to be a cricket. "It's an accessory meant to increase the user's strength and stamina, according to my research."

"A talking cricket," Bella whispered. "Amazing. Then again I have met Pongo and Perdy. Same case really."

"Jiminy Cricket, at your service," said the little cricket, introducing himself.

"I'm Bella," Bella returned, reaching out with her pinky to "shake hands" with the smaller individual. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"And I'm Goofy," mentioned the dog, excited about introduction time. He grabbed the much shorter duck around the shoulders, throwing the poor creature off balance a bit. "And this here is Donald."

"Leon," replied the man without as much enthusiasm.

"Sora," supplied the younger boy.

"Introductions over," Leon said, cutting to the chase. He looked toward Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy for answers. "What are you doing here?"

"We were looking for the "key" for the King," Goofy replied.

"So," Sora reasoned out, "you were looking for me?"

Donald and Goofy nodded simultaneously. "Uh-huh."

"They, too, have been seeking the wielder of the Keyblade," Leon mused, half speaking to Bella, half to himself.

"Looks like Sora is on the most wanted list or something," Bella joked. "Hey, Mr. Popularity, what do you think of that?"

Before Sora could say anything, Goofy jumped quickly.

"Hey, why don't you come with us? We can go to other worlds on our vessel," he explained. Bella's ears perked and she looked up at the statement. A way to travel? A way to get out of this tiny town and see something new? She was so in.

"I wonder if I could find Riku and Kairi," Sora wondered aloud, looking downcast. Bella placed a reassuring and on his shoulder.

"Of course," Donald interjected quickly. Bella saw him cross his feathers--fingers--whatever, behind his back sneakily and narrowed her eyes. Oh yeah, this was totally believable.

"Are you sure?" Goofy whispered to him. Confusion clouded his eyes and he looked from Sora to Donald again, not noticing Bella's incredulous stare.

"Who knows?" Donald whispered back. "But we need him to come with us to help us find the king."

Leon nodded once; he had heard the hushed conversation as well, whereas Sora was still lost in his own thoughts about finding his friends. Leon caught Bella's eye and signaled that it was ok. Even though Sora was going to be taken away under the impression that Riku and Kairi would quickly be found, he would be safe with these two goofs.

"Sora," Leon voiced authoritatively. "Go with them, especially if you want to find your friends."

"Yeah," Bella agreed. "You'll never know unless you go out there and search for yourself. I wish I had the same opportunity as you to find everything I lost, but I'm not the Keyblade master."

"Yeah, I guess," Sora murmured, realizing that Bella wasn't coming with him. The thought saddened him, as she was his first friend here and did her best to help him out. Now, she would have to stay behind.

"But you can't come along looking like that," Donald scolded, ignoring the look of longing on Bella's face. "Understand? No frowning. No sad face, okay?"

"Yeah," Goofy encouraged enthusiastically. He crouched down to get his face on Donald's level and grabbed the duck's shoulders to give a god natured shake. "Ya gotta look funny, like us!"

"This boat runs on happy faces," Donald said, pushing Goofy away from him. That dog knew nothing about personal bubbles and staying out of them!

"Only if Bella can come too!" Sora said, stating his demand with a stern look. "I want to find Riku and Kairi, but she's lost something too. I won't leave without my friend!"

"What?" Donald asked, surprise written on his features. "You want to take someone else with us?"

"That's right," Sora confirmed. He walked over to Bella and placed a hand on her shoulder. "She comes with us or I don't go with you. Your choice."

"Oh, Donald," Goofy said amiably. "It's only one more person, and we need Sora if we want to find the kind."

"Fine," Donald agreed with an exasperated sigh. "But she's the only one. We can't fit more people on the ship."

Bella didn't hear the conversation. She was still in shock. Had Sora really just vouched for her like that? She was going to be able to go with them and search for her own world and friends? It seemed too good to be true…she must have imagined it.

"That's one funny face!" Goofy declared suddenly, pointing at Bella. She realized how stupid she looked with her jaw dropped, and possibly some drool, and quickly rearranged her features into something resembling normalcy once more. She shot a glare at Sora, who was also cracking up with laughter and whacked his shoulder with great force…Stupid Sora.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, the Disney Villains were convening and plotting the demise of all…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That little squirt took down that Heartless!" exclaimed a figure with literally flaming blue hair. His teeth were sharpened to razor points and his eyes burned with hatred. "Who'd have thought it?"

"Such is the power of the Keyblade," informed a tall, thin man. He held a long staff in the shape of a golden cobra, which hinted at darker magic than we have seen thus far. He stroked his curled goatee thoughtfully before speaking again. "The child's strength is not his own."

"Why don't we turn him into a Heartless?" demanded an octopod with purple skin and black tentacles. She tapped a few of those tentacles together menacingly. "That'll settle things quickly enough."

"And the brat's friends are the king's lackeys," shouted out a typically clothed pirate, possible a captain. The long plume in his hat swayed gently even though he shook his head vigorously. "Swoggle me eyes, they're bilge rats by the look of them."

"You're no prize yourself," laughed what looked like a large potato sack filed to the brim with creepy-crawlies. The pirate just growled at the sack, shooting him a filthy look. "Shut up!"

"Enough," commanded a woman who had thus far been silent. She stood from her seat with authority, calling the meeting to order before things got out of control as usual. "The Keyblade has chosen him. Will it be he who conquers the darkness? Or will the darkness swallow him?"

The group was silent as they thought about her words. What would come of this? Would this young "warrior" amount to dirt, or would he prove to be their downfall?

"Either way," she spoke again, commanding their attention once more, "he could be quite useful…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Back in Traverse Town, our new group is preparing to depart from this world and move on to the next…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Make sure you're prepared for the journey ahead of you," Leon instructed. "We don't know how far the Heartless have spread."

"Check out the shops here," Yuffie suggested helpfully. "They've got some pretty neat stuff, and everyone is always selling back, so you can find something really cool that you can't find anywhere else."

"This is from all of us," Aerith offered, holding out a money pouch to Bella. "It's 100 munny. That currency is good anywhere you go, so make good use of it!"

"Thanks," Bella said, stashing it in small sac she hung over her shoulder. "I'm sure this will really come in handy."

"Spend it as you see fit," she told them all. "And this is from Leon."

She handed Sora a small bottle that glowed with a green energy. An elixir. That could be useful in battle when it seems like they are too tired to go on.

"Good luck!" Yuffie said, taking Bella into a quick hug and slapping Sora on the shoulder. Aerith smiled her encouragement and Leon remained as expressionless as always.

"Look out for each other," Leon warned them. "Keep our heads about you all the time and keep your spirits up. Remember you can always come back here if you need us."

"Cid wishes you luck too," Aerith supplied, noticing Bella looking toward the shop with a bit of sadness. Her friend had not come to see them off. She noticed a flash near the window and she smiled. He had looked out at them, saying his own silent good bye.

She faced Donald and Goofy again. "Where is this ship of yours?"

"The gummi ship is outside that gate," Donald said.

"Wait 'til you see it!" Goofy said excitedly. He started off towards the doors but was immediately pulled back by Donald once more. He stumbled backwards and landed directly on his rump with a dull thud. "Ouch."

"Hold on," Donald ordered. "Sora and Bella, this is for you."

He handed each of them a small red stone. Sora stared at his with total confusion and Bella looked up at Donald.

"Thanks," she said uncertainly. She twisted it this way and that, trying to figure out the meaning behind it. "I've always wanted a little red pebble. I can throw it at people, right?"

"No," Donald said, shaking his head with his hand over his eyes. "Just say 'fire' and you will learn the spell."

"Fire?" Bella repeated, totally lost now. A spark flew up from the rock and wrapped around her arm in a flurry of dancing flames (AN: I couldn't resist!) and completely covered her sword and gun as well. Bella had frozen on the spot and Sora gave a shout as her body was engulfed in flames. As quickly as it started, however, it was over. The rock turned gray and cold and Bella dropped it on the ground.

"What the hell?" she demanded angrily. "Were you trying to kill me?"

"No," Donald replied. "I gave you the magic of Fire, and now you can use it whenever you need to."

"Oh," Bella said, calming a bit. Cool, the duck taught her how to burn things. This could get interesting. She pointed at his tail and muttered "fire", sending smoke curling up from the white feathers.

Donald clapped his hands over his tail and shouted while Bella laughed.

"Oh yeah," she said through tears of laughter. "I could so get used to this!"

Laughing, Sora said the short incantation and held still while the same flames took over his body. His rock also went dark as the magic left it and entered his body instead.

After recovering from the initial shock of his tail being set aflame, Donald looked to Goofy and said, "Teach them that other thing too."

"Oh yeah," Goofy said. He jumped to the side, tucking his body and rolling before springing up to his feet again. That's called the dodge roll. It sure does come in handy when someone tried to attack and you can't block it."

"Good idea," Sora commented, trying it out for himself. The kid was a fast learner. He looked to Bella to see if she would attempt it too, but she shook her head.

"There is no way you're gonna see me rolling around in the dirt," she said smoothly.

"Okay," Sora said with a shrug. "Is that it? Let's get going!"

"Not 'til we're ready!" Donald ordered, pushing Sora toward the Accessory Shop while Bella stayed at the gates with Goofy and Jiminy.

"Well," Jiminy said, talking to no one in particular. "I see big adventures coming their way! Looks like it's up to me to keep track of it all in my journal!"


	5. Down the Rabbit Hole

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or its characters…only Bella.

The journey on the gummi ship was an interesting one to say the very least. The small ship was actually a lot bigger on the inside than it appeared and Bella and Sora were introduced to two new faces; two small furry faces. Two chipmunks to be completely exact. Chip and Dale were two little chipmunks that acted as the engineers of the gummi ship. Bella had fun learning about the different functions of the ship and how it was built from the different gummi blocks from them and she spent most of the three day voyage with them while Sora learned how to steer clear of meteors and how to gun down enemy ships. It was an educational experience for the both of them, and they barely had time to talk to one another as they learned everything they could about the ship.

"So if I twist this knob here," Bella asked, trying to understand the complex functions of everything around her, "then this lever will drop and I move it to the right and press the red button twice and the blue button once, do the hokey pokey, and the latch will open?"

"Well, I don't know anything about a hokey pokey, but the rest was right," Dale told her. "After you get that opened up, the keypad will come down and you can permanently record the locations of any worlds we find."

"Nifty," Bella commented. She leaned against the wall and sighed, closing her eyes. "Now if only we can find some worlds to explore. It's only been a few days, but I can only stay on this ship for so long before I go nuts."

The chipmunks shrugged and scampered off, performing their routine checks of the whirling machinery and flashing lights to be sure everything was in order. Bella watched them, trying to memorize their instructions that were shouted to her in high pitched voices and keep up with their fast movements. She soon felt a headache coming on.

A funky looking television screen with a circular lime green border and electric blue polka dots dropped down from the ceiling and Sora's face crackled into view. Bella sighed in relief. Finally, something to distract her from the craziness.

"Bella," Sora stated simply, calling her attention.

"What's up?"

"Land ho," Sora grinned.

"Nuh-uh!" Bella squealed."Oh thank God, I'm bored to pieces already. How soon before we get there? What does it look like? Are we going to land? C'mon, man, I need details!!"

"Come on up to the bridge and check it out for yourself," Sora told her. Bella didn't have to be told twice. She rushed through an explanation to the chipmunks and took off at top speed to the bridge to get her first look at the new world. This was so exciting!!

Just as fast as she had run to Sora's side, she froze. What the hell? The whole planet was pink and red and there were hedges EVERYWHERE. Bella thought she saw a large house too and looked at Sora. "That's it?"

"Yeah, it looks kinda strange," Sora commented. "But at least it's not the gummi ship."

Bella nodded her agreement. She was itching to get off. Donald had walked up to her at that point and was explaining how they were going to land the ship and where exactly they were going to start looking first. She tried to keep up, but his speech was difficult to understand at times and she had to keep asking him to repeat things, much to the duck's displeasure.

Sora was not allowed to land the ship this time, since he was still new to the many controls, but Goofy was able to handle the landing quite smoothly. Well, hot damn, the dog could fly! The ship settled gently on a field of grass and Bella pulled a golden rope that hung from the ceiling twice. Part of the ship's wall began to lower itself and a ramp extended out from underneath it, touching the grass below, allowing the passengers to step down onto solid ground. Chip and Dale had volunteered to stay behind and keep watch over everything while the rest of the group set off. Even though they were only chipmunks, Bella couldn't help but trust them. After all, they knew all the defense mechanisms of the ship backwards, forwards, sideways, and any other way you could think of.

"Where are we going again?" Sora asked, staring around. They had landed in a field where all there was to see were flowers and hills. Donald however, pointed to a large hole in one of the hills. A sign hung over the hole saying "Entrance to Wonderland" and a small wooden door was opened to the field.

"In a hole?" Bella asked. "That's ridiculous."

"Tough," Donald said, pushing her toward the hole anyways. She went in first and immediately hated the darkness and filth of the place. She could hear the others behind her, and she grumbled as the tunnel got narrower, forcing her to crouch down. She was about to shout some obscenity back at Donald, who had bumped into her, when she felt her foot catch nothing but air and she began to plummet forward. Instead, she let out a sharp yell, and heard the responding yells as the rest of her group fell as well.

After a moment, a heart pounding moment at that, Bella realized she was falling in a slow, rocking motion. Holy shit, she was practically defying gravity!

"Sora, Donald, Bella, are you ok?" Goofy asked.

"Yeah," Bella replied. "All clear on the home front."

"Me too," answered Sora.

"And me," Donald said.

"And don't forget about me!" Jiminy called out, clinging to Bella's hair.

There was nothing to do but continue the descent down the hole at this point, and it was boring so far. Goofy had already fallen asleep and Sora was playing some sort of 20 questions game with Donald to pass the time. Bella and Jiminy had started up a conversation about their own home worlds and she was currently listening to something about a green fairy or red fairy or---well, there was a fairy involved.

Just then, Donald made an awkward squawking noise and pointed below them. The floor was coming up to them really fast. He, Sora, and Bella positioned themselves up right, bracing for the impact. Bella bent her knees, unsure if the landing would hurt or not. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and was surprised when she felt her body make a light, smooth touchdown. She opened her eyes and watched Donald gently float to the floor.

Then she noticed Goofy, still sleeping.

"Oops," she stated, pointing to the oblivious dog. He fell to the ground with a loud crash, causing him to wake with a start. He sat in a daze and Donald doubled over with uncontrollable laughter. Bella and Sora immediately ran over to see if he was hurt at all, but Goofy simply stood up, brushing off his pants and yawning widely.

Bella felt something bump against her knees and she looked down, glimpsing a white blur. She turned her head quickly and saw a white rabbit running down a hall (in a rabbit hole??) in a waistcoat, clutching a large golden pocket watch.

"Oh, my fur and whiskers!" he cried out in a desperate voice. He ran faster and shouted out his fears. "I'm late, I'm late, I'm late! Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! I'm here, I should be there. I'm late, I'm late, I'm late! The queen she'll have my head for sure!"

"The queen will do what?" Bella yelped as the rabbit's tail disappeared around the corner. "What kind of place is this where queens cut off their subjects' heads?"

"He sure ran off fast," Goofy commented. "I wonder what he's late for?"

"Let's find out," Sora suggested, his curious nature getting the better of him. He started running down the hall as well, the rest of the group following closely behind. The hall was large and Bella found herself questioning just who had made this place inside a rabbit hole. It was just too wild to imagine! When she ran into a small room, she was even more confused. What was this place??

"What a bizarre room, "she murmured. It was like a tiny bedroom. A bed was pushed up against the wall and a grandfather clock ticked softly. The center of the room was dominated by a glass table, opposite the fireplace, and a tiny door stood up to Sora's knees in the wall. "And where did the rabbit go?"

"Maybe he went through the door?" Sora said, looking around the strange room. "I don't see him in here."

"But how?" Bella questioned, looking dubiously at the tiny door. The rabbit she had seen was much larger than that. "How did he get so small?"

"No," said a small voice coming from the door. The knob opened its eyes, revealing a face that, until that point, had been slumbering quietly. Bella and Sora jumped back a bit, Bella's jump upsetting Jiminy in the process. Goofy leapt into Donald's arms comically and Donald had fallen on his tail, eyes wide open in shock. "You're simply too big."

"It talks!" Donald stated, flabbergasted. He had never met a talking doorknob before.

"Must you be so loud?" the Doorknob complained. "You woke me up."

"Sorry," Bella said weakly, holding onto Sora's arm for support. "I-I didn't mean to wake you."

"Good morning," Goofy offered, still clinging to a nearly squashed Donald.

"Good night! I need a bit more sleep!"

"Wait!" Sora shouted, making the Doorknob open one eye curiously. "What do we have to do to grow small?"

"Move the bed and drink the bottle over there on the table," the Doorknob suggested sleepily, slipping back into his dreamland with a soft snore. Bella just stared at it. What in earth did it mean by move the bed? Move the bed where? This was getting a little ridiculous. Besides, she saw the table when she came in the room and there was no bottle on it.

"Whoa," Sora exclaimed and Bella whipped around in time to see the bottle finish materialized on the table. Well, what do you know? The talking doorknob was right! So that meant---

Donald began to pull on the bed, tugging with all his might from every angle. Sora soon reached out to help him, and Goofy grabbed Donald's ankles, tugging the duck fiercely. Try as they might to move the bed, it just wouldn't budge! Exhausted, they slumped against it, falling backwards when the bed slid directly into the wall, revealing a hole in the wall where the headboard should have been.

Bella laughed then. This world was getting more and more confusing by the minute, but it was also funny.

"Well then, boys," she said, picking up the bottle and toasting them. She didn't hesitate to bring it to her lips; she was more trusting of the Doorknob's advice. "Bottoms up!"

She felt a curious sensation spreading throughout her body, warm and tingling. She felt her body shifting and she stared at her hands in wonder and amazement as they grew smaller before her very eyes. She was shrinking!! This must have been what he meant by them being too big. Sora, Donald and Goofy followed her lead and took a drink from the bottle, shrinking down to a smaller size. Jiminy was last, now taller than all of them. Once he was back to a proportional size to the group, he settled himself once more into Bella's sweatshirt hood, peering over her shoulder to watch what would happen next.

The group made their way toward the hole in the wall cautiously, unsure of what they were going to walk into. Sora went first, holding his key blade tightly, ready to defend himself and fight back if the situation called for it. Donald and Goofy followed after him and Bella took up the rear, listening to Jiminy scribbling quick notes down in his journal.

They walked straight into what appeared to be a room full of tall hedges. They could hear distance horns from up ahead and they moved forward slowly, hiding in the shadows of the bushes to avoid detection. Bella noticed a young girl in a pale blue dress standing on a podium looking nervous and unsure as to why she was even there. She looked around helplessly as the white rabbit Bella had encountered earlier ran up a platform and blew his horn again.

"Court is now in session!" he wheezed, unable to breath after having run the distance to make it to the trial on time. Bella and Sora exchanged quick glances. Was this little girl really a criminal?

"I'm on trial?" the girl asked, completely flabbergasted. "But why?"

"Her Majesty, the Queen of Hearts, presiding!" said the rabbit, ignoring the girl on trial. A large woman in an elaborate red, white, and black dress leaned over, peering at the girl angrily.

"The girl is the culprit," she bellowed, announcing her decision to the entire court, which was comprised of what looked to be a life-sized deck of cards holding spears. "There's no doubt about it. And the reason is…because I say so, that's why!"

"That is so unfair," the girl complained, crossing her arms in defiance. What sort of a reason was that to think someone was guilty of some crime?

"Well, Alice," the Queen of Hearts demanded, calling the girl to attention. "Have you anything to say in your defense?"

"Of course!" Alice proclaimed. She raised her voice to a higher level to make herself heard over the murmurs of the court. "I've done absolutely nothing wrong! You may be queen, but I'm afraid that doesn't give you the right to be so….so mean!"

"SILENCE!" The queen roared, startling Alice. The poor girl leaned away from the queen as far as possible and raised her arms to guard herself against the harsh voice. "You dare defy me?"

As the queen continued to shout at Alice, Sora turned to Donald and said, "Hey guys, I think we should help her out."

"Yeah," Donald reply hesitantly."But the---"

"We're outsiders, so wouldn't that be 'muddling'?" Goofy interjected, cutting the duck off.

"Meddling!" corrected Bella and Donald simultaneously.

"Oh yeah," Goofy said. "And that's against the rules."

Bella opened her mouth to give her own opinion, but the voice of the Queen of Hearts rose above her own and she turned her head to get a better view of the large woman, gasping when she heard the following statement.

"The court finds the defendant… guilty as charged!" she declared, pointing an accusing finger at Alice with a malicious glare before announcing the sentence. "For the crimes of assault and attempted theft of my heart…OFF WITH HER HEAD!"

a/n: I know it's been forever since I last updated anything on here, but I've almost been so busy with work and college that FF was put on the back burner for the longest time. I finally have some time to start updating again though, so be prepared for the onslaught of chapters in the coming weeks!!


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